The reins of Brexit have been handed to those who never wanted to leave

Follow the author of this article

Follow the topics within this article

Police officers check cars arriving at the entrance to Chequers, the Prime Minister's official country residence, near AylesburyCredit:
Chris Radburn/Reuters

On the face of it, this deal does not fulfil the promises Theresa May made to Britain

"We seek a new and equal partnership ... not partial membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half in, half out .... We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.” Thus said the Prime Minister in her Lancaster House speech, fleshing out her view that “Brexit means Brexit”. The question that arises from the Chequers agreement is: has Theresa May met her own tests?

The Prime Minister says that “we will not have truly left the European Union if we are not in control of our own laws”. Yet the Chequers paper says that EU rules will flow down to this country and will either be...